How to Transition Gracefully
Transition is the translation of your past identity into your future becoming.
In American culture, we tend to strongly identify “who we are” with what we do professionally. What you do, often becomes a shorthand for who you are. When meeting someone new, the first question is rarely, “Who are you?” “What are your dreams?” or “What are your passions?” Instead, it's almost always: “What do you do?”
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That question is our brain's attempt to make sense of a new person—to categorize, to understand, to decide: “Are you someone I want to know better? Are we aligned?” In a culture that assigns so much value to productivity and output, the question becomes a tool for decision-making. But it can also feel reductive, flattening the richness of a person into a job title or role.
Our brains are wired to process data quickly. They sort, label, and judge as a way to manage complexity. This efficiency is useful—but it can also blind us to nuance, to complexity. To stretch our understanding—and to expand our consciousness—we must become aware of the questions we ask and how we process the answers. We must learn to ask deeper, more illuminating questions.
As a dancer, when people ask “What do you do?” the answer reveals more than just my job title. Dance isn’t just what I do—it’s how I express my soul. My career as a dancer is my art, my livelihood, my discipline and my framing for navigating life.
Now, as I build my next chapter, a successful coaching business and client portfolio, questions of identity occupy a significant part of my inner world. How do I translate the essence of who I am, who I’ve been, into my next expression?
What new skills do I need to best serve my clients? What skills do I already possess—and, how do I best translate those skills to achieve successful outcomes for the clients I serve?
As a coach, supporting clients with their own transitions, and realizing their own best possible outcomes occupies a significant space in our work. Whether they’re leaving a career, stepping into a new role, or changing some other part of their identity, transition brings up common themes: fear of the unknown, self-doubt, imposter syndrome.
Through my journey and in my work, I’ve come to understand this:
Transition is not starting over.
Whether you’re shifting a job, a relationship, or an identity, transition is a continuationand translation of who you are already.
Even when the path ahead is unclear, you’re not stepping into a void. You bring with you all your experiences, all of your growth, all of the wisdom you’ve earned along the way. You are the light illuminating the road ahead.
When I work with clients in the midst of change, I often say:
“Transition means translation.”
In this sense, translation means learning a new language of existence—reframing the skills, gifts, and knowledge you already have in a way that resonates with where you're going. It means learning the language that will allow your new audience to appreciate the capacity that you bring to the table.
Sometimes translation requires formal education or certifications. Other times, it’s less academic and more internal: learning to relate to yourself in a new way, to communicate in new ways, to embrace a new expression of identity.
If you’re leaving a relationship, your translation may involve cultivating a deeper relationship with yourself.
If you’re entering a new relationship, it might be about learning to speak a new emotional language.
If you’re stepping into a new role or identity, it’s about discovering the new vocabulary of what you’re becoming.
Translation is not abandonment of who you were.
You’re not discarding who you’ve been to get where you’re going—you’re evolving. You are bringing all of who you are into your next chapter, with an expanded capacity to express and relate.
This mindset has helped me—and it’s helped many of my clients—move through the unknown with a sense of empowerment. This mindset offers grace, power, and clarity.
“In transition, you are not starting from scratch; you are learning new skills to transform and translate your Self into your next expression.”
If you or someone you know is navigating a transition, I’d love to support you in getting where you're going.
Helping others activate their tools, reconnect with their purpose, and move forward with clarity is one of my greatest passions.
Your transition is not the end—it’s the start of your next becoming. I look forward to helping you realize your personally defined pathway to a successful future.
Stay tuned for more on transitions as we evolve together!
